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An advocacy NGO has called on the government to take firm action against mineral and coal miners that owe royalties and exploration fees.

As of February, government non-tax revenue (PNBP), including from unpaid royalties and exploration fees amounted to Rp 5.07 trillion (US$381.2 million), according to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Directorate General for Minerals and Coal.

Of the total figure, Rp 3.95 trillion is owed by mining license (IUP) holders, Rp 1.1 trillion by coal mining business permits (PKP2B) holders and Rp 20.6 billion by contract of work holders.

“Without any firm action by the government, such a problem will occur again and again, while regional administrations, as the benefit recipients, will keep being disadvantaged,” Agung Budiono, researcher with Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The government has set a March 31 deadline for miners to settle their arrears. Failure to meet the deadline will result in the Directorate General for Minerals and Coal not processing any of their clean and clear (CnC) status, registered exporter (ET) licenses, export permits (SPE) and sailing permits.

If they failed to meet the deadline, Agung said the government should also prosecute them in accordance with the 1997 PNBP Law, which stipulates that evaders can be sentenced to a maximum of one year in jail or be fined up to twice as much as the arrears. (bbn)